One would wonder… a kingdom that praised and prided itself on magic, on its mages, would the knight order of such a place really be powerful?
The answer one might expect would be that they were just a shabby force maintained for appearance's sake… but that couldn't be any further from the truth. The knights of the Valemere Kingdom were powerful.
They were forced to become powerful.
Generation after generation, the knights had always been the cannon fodder, the ones who fought on the front lines at the Tenebrous Mountain, after all.
… But wasn't there a barrier surrounding the Tenebrous Mountain?
Unfortunately, Ellis had been cheated… or maybe it was his own fault? Perhaps he should have asked Silas from the beginning to explain it more clearly.
Anyway, it turned out that this barrier was a selective one, one that repelled only the very strong monsters, while letting the weaker ones pass through without any effect at all… it didn't actually trap every monster inside.
So, the knights were forced to fight the monsters that made it out… monsters that were getting stronger and stronger due to the weakening of the barrier. They had to face them head-on, and so, they became strong!
… It was just that they were still apparently a little weaker than the mages.
And their strategic value wasn't equal either. Not to mention, with the kingdom's long-standing traditions and emphasis on magic, the knight order had long been marginalized and pushed aside.
But Ellis saw it differently.
A paper-thin mage, someone who would die from the smallest attack if their magic shields, the protective spells they had carefully layered onto themselves, were suddenly torn apart, was worth less, in his eyes, than someone with a properly trained body.
And the only reason mages were able to demonstrate their strategic value at all… was because knights were standing in front of them, protecting them.
So, for Ellis, the existence of a strong body wasn't something to overlook, it was vital.
But…
… Did he really need to start training like this?
Running around the mansion, already for more than half an hour, Ellis couldn't help but start questioning it.
It's not like he was upset or anything.
This was a method he had considered trying out anyway, in hopes that he could get some skill. But he hadn't gotten around to it yet, since his time had been taken up with developing his current skills and studying magic.
… But when Galen had talked about how he was still a child… still too young, Ellis had expected the training to be a lot gentler than this.
Who would force a four-year-old to run this much, after all?
At the very least, Ellis hadn't expected his training to start like this.
Now panting, with his running speed far slower than when he had started, Ellis felt like maybe he had done enough.
And he should stop.
But just as he began to slow down even more, he was suddenly reminded of the Gray Gate… and his time there.
And that made him want to test his limits…
… No, he wanted to overcome them!
….…
"Is this not enough already?" Silas asked in a cold, sharp tone… a tone unlike anything she had ever used in Ellis's presence.
It was a tone she would never have dared to use with the knight commander under normal circumstances. But now, while biting her lip and shooting glaring glances at the man, she didn't care.
Especially not when her eyes were fixed on Ellis, her master, in the distance, still running… no, staggering was more accurate. Drenched in sweat, barely holding himself upright.
The sight made her heart ache.
"… Well, maybe we really should stop him," Galen replied, his tone uncertain.
He didn't even react to the fact that a mere maid had just spoken to him like that, because at this moment, the sight before him took complete priority.
Astonishment didn't even begin to describe what he was feeling.
He had only told the prince to run until he became tired.
He hadn't specified how many laps, as he had wanted to observe Ellis's physical capabilities… and his personality through this test.
But the prince had blown away all his expectations, both with his ability to run this much… and even more so, with his tenacity.
"Master!" Silas's sudden scream pulled Galen from his thoughts, and he instinctively moved his gaze toward the prince… just in time to see the boy collapse.
Yet even after falling, Ellis still seemed to try to get up again.
And that impressed Galen even more.
Were four-year-old children even capable of having this kind of willpower? He couldn't help but wonder.
On the other hand, the lightheaded Ellis, now supported by Silas, struggled faintly in her arms at first, as if unwilling to be helped, before finally giving in.
He felt a deep sense of regret.
… In the end, he had failed to acquire any skills.